Council names urban parkland Prahran Square

The new urban parkland and below ground car park being built on the site of the old Cato Street car park in Prahran has been named Prahran Square.

At its meeting on Monday 24 June, Council decided the name from a shortlist of two, Prahran Square and Cato Square.

City of Stonnington Mayor, Cr Steve Stefanopoulos, is delighted the Council has agreed on Prahran Square as the permanent name for the site.

“Prahran Square is the perfect name for the parkland that sits right in the heart of one of Melbourne’s most iconic suburbs and shopping precincts.

“For decades known as the Cato Street car park and for the past two years as the Cato Square redevelopment site, the name Prahran Square signals a new beginning and seals the transition from old car park to spectacular urban parkland”, Cr Stefanopoulos said.

Deciding a permanent name for the site involved two rounds of community and stakeholder engagement, the first in September 2018 and more recently in May 2019.

In the first round, over 130 respondents completed an online survey to inform the naming process, which resulted in two names being shortlisted for consideration – Cato Square and Prahran Square.

An online poll of the shortlisted names was completed in May 2019. The poll attracted 1130 responses, with 59 per cent choosing Prahran Square as their preferred name.

“We had an exceptional response to the poll of the shortlisted names, with the community indicating a strong preference for Prahran Square,” Cr Stefanopoulos said.

“The community clearly wanted Prahran Square, and Council wholeheartedly supported the community’s preference.

“Prahran Square has come just in time for the opening of the below ground car park which we expect to happen in a matter of weeks.

“Within a few short months the parkland will be finished, with an opening celebration planned for later in the year,” said Cr Stefanopoulos.

Costing in excess of $60 million, it is the most ambitious construction project ever completed by the City of Stonnington and will provide urgently needed open space for recreation, events, markets and festivals.

The new below ground car park will deliver 20 per cent more car parking spaces than previously available on the site, to service the surrounding Chapel and Greville street precincts.

Construction began in January 2018. The car park is due to open on 31 July 2019 and the ground level urban parkland later in the year.

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